Thursday, 21 October 2010

Colic in Babies

Deciding to start a family is a serious decision. This is because a lot of tender loving care must be given the moment the baby comes out until he or she grows up to become an adult.
There are many reasons why babies cry. This could be because it is hungry or sometimes it is just cranky. But when it cries a little longer than before, this means that the infant is colic.
What is colic? This is a term given to a baby who cries for more than three hours in a given day. This is normal in newborns, which may begin from 3 weeks until four months of age.
Parents who are unaware of this will panic. A good doctor can reassure the legal guardians that this will go away gradually over time.
There are many reasons why a baby is colic. Since there is not a single reason, which can be attributed to it, the parents should stop thinking about this and focus on the more important task of making it go away.
There will be times late at night when the parents wake up because the baby is crying. The infant will not understand the concept of being told to be quiet so the father or the mother will have to carry the infant and rock it back to sleep.
The baby could be hungry so maybe it is time to feed it again. The mother should make sure to make the infant burp because this could be the cause of the colic behavior a few minutes or hours from now.
If this is the behavior of the baby during the day, maybe it is time for both to go outside. Sometimes taking the newborn on a carriage ride will help. Giving the newborn a pacifier can also remedy the situation.
A warm bath is sometimes what parents need to relax after a stressful day at work. Studies have shown that doing the same thing for the baby can also stop the colic behavior. The parents should make sure that the water is not too hot for the child.
Grownups get cranky when disrupted by noise. A baby does not know that yet and will cry in order to be noticed. The parents can play some music in the room of the baby so he or she will not suddenly wake up.
The food that the mother eats could produce gas, which causes the baby to feel discomfort. It will be a good idea to consult with the doctor regarding the proper diet so this can be prevented. If this still happens, maybe using Simethicone drops can work.
One way to check on the baby from time to time will be to have a monitor nearby that with one unit in the room and the other carried around the house. The parents should take shifts to avoid feeling exhausted.
The biological clock of a baby is very different from a child or an adult. It will still take time to develop and until that happens, the parents will have to deal with this situation. After all, a baby that is colic is normal since it is part of the growing phase. This means that this is not a disease or a disorder so there is nothing to worry about.